Rise and Fall
by hendrix880
Summary: What if Ron never came back to the tent during the quest for horcruxes? The lives of Harry and Hermione six years after the event. A story of redemption, friendship, and romance. H/Hr
1. Chapter 1

It had ended six years ago. Today was the anniversary of the final battle. Cheery smiles, rounds of butter beer, and recounts of the battle seemed to fill every household, pub, and shop in the wizarding world. Even those who weren't a part of it made up elaborate stories of fighting next to 'the boy who lived' during the last seconds. The name Harry Potter was included in every sentence around the world. There were so many stories of the hero that wide-eyed children seemed to create him into some sort of God… an idol. All of them were Harry Potter as they played 'defeat the dark lord' with their friends as their parents looked on with approving glances. Victory day was a day of happiness; it served as a day of unity and remembrance.

Only, the _real_ Harry Potter was not celebrating the day with his loved ones. The real Harry Potter was not at all happy during Victory Day. His well-disguised sadness during this particular day had slowly leaked with each passing anniversary. And as the sixth one arrived, his whole mask of cheerfulness had evaporated. No longer did he go along to the parties and dinners. No, the day seemed like a giant funeral to him. It wasn't only the literal death of his friends… his family. But the death of one particular friendship. One of Harry's most valued friendships, Ron Weasley. Ron had never come back after he left the tent more than 6 years ago. He had run off, forgetting Harry and Hermione with every cowardly footstep he to took, to search for the horcruxes alone. Harry had heard news that Ron returned to the Burrow, but most knew not to tell Harry more than that.

It had been a happy day for the media once they got word that the once golden trio had been corrupted. The snarky headlines reminding Harry of his ex- friend seemed to come up every anniversary. And it was this death of a friendship that kept Harry alone in his flat on the holiday…devoted to him.

His friends were out -- most likely getting incredibly drunk. He had urged them to go, Hermione practically begged for Harry to come along. But he couldn't go. Harry thought it would be _wrong_ to be so happy on such a day. But... wasn't it wrong to gloat? A shadow of guilt came upon him as he continued to look outside his window. He'd been sitting on the cream colored chair for at least three hours now. Harry checked his watch. It was close to eleven. Hermione wouldn't be home for at least another two hours he thought.

Harry sighed. This was the only day he allows himself to remember. Tomorrow he would continue his life, but tonight… he would remember.

He barely registered the _pop _of someone apparating inside of the loft twenty minutes later. The soft clicking of heels on wood told him it was Hermione—his flat mate and best friend.

"Harry?" She called, her voice echoed through the rooms. He heard her peak inside his bedroom. Harry really didn't feel like talking tonight. Why was she home anyway? He thought slightly annoyed. Shouldn't she be partying with Ginny, Luna, and whatever his name was? Don… her boyfriend.

"Harry?!" She called again, her voice a little higher, her footsteps more hurried. She finally reached the sitting room to find Harry in the reclining chair, facing the glass looking over London. His back was to her but Hermione could see that he was unrelaxed. He was sitting straight up in the chair. She didn't say anything as she walked over to him. She put her warm hand on his shoulder and looked out the window. He didn't acknowledge her presence. After a few minutes of the silence Hermione motioned for him to scoot over in the chair. Harry felt another twinge of annoyance but complied. It was a large chair after all. Hermione eased herself into it happily greeting the warm leather on her legs. She rested her head on Harrys shoulder. After several more minutes of the comfortable silence Harry surprised himself by breaking it.

"Why are you here?" His voice was little gruff, from the lack of use for the past day. Harry looked down to see a hurt look on Hermione's face. She removed her head from his shoulder, a frown etched in her brow. Harry shook his head in apology.

"Sorry" He atoned "I mean… why aren't you enjoying yourself out there?" He motioned towards the window. Hermione cleared her throat, her previous expression gone replaced with a look of worry… like she was cautious. This irked Harry. What did she think he was going to…hurt her? Have a temper tantrum?

"I…I keep thinking about the battle. And… not all the glorious parts everyone's set on talking about." She was talking about Ron. This is exactly what he _wasn't _up to today… another Ron talk.

"I miss him," she whispered. Anger swept over him, but not at Hermione. Towards Ron.

"He's a coward, Hermione he doesn't deserve us to miss him."I said firmly what he had been saying for years.

"I know… but. But...I keep thinking that…I'll stop…missing him, I mean. But… Harry…" Her voice broke. She almost like she was pleading.

"Harry… how could he?" She continued "I keep seeing it over and over again in my mind and I still don't…understand. What did I _do?" _

Tears freed themselves from her brown eyes. Harry couldn't look at her. It hurt too much. Hell, Ron didn't deserve those tears coming down her face. Harry stared at the window, his eyes determined. He was getting progressively angrier thinking about the past. The happy memories with Ron seemed like lies now. Harry was unaware of his shaking hands. He was dangerously close to the edge. Hermione placed her hands on his, gently squeezing them.

"Harry… Harry look at me." She said trying to sound firm, yet her words wavered. Harry's eyes remained glued to the window, his eyes dark and electrifying.

"Look. At. Me" She said with more strength. His body, though still tense, managed to move his head towards her. They stared at each other, his hands still shaking in hers. Silent rage and pain upon his youthful face.

'We're here now. It's gone. We're here now."

His eyes focused on her face again, and slowly he laid his head on her shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry and Hermione had gone to their respected rooms very late that night

Harry and Hermione had gone to their respected rooms very late that night. They stayed together in the chair for several more hours. It seemed to them as though the chair was an exception to reality. They weren't anywhere, they weren't any one. They could just…be. It had been difficult for Harry to finally get up and return to bed. He would have to act normal tomorrow…or today, as it was the morning when we ambled off to the soft darkness of his bedroom. He didn't bother turning the lights on. He had left his wand in the sitting room and was too exhausted to go after it. He stripped down to his boxers and slipped into the bed, exhaling with relief. The day was over. With that thought he finally lost himself completely to sleep.

Hermione left the sitting room without saying a word to Harry that night. They went there separate ways and she slowly walked to her room. There rooms were completely opposite one another. The doors faced each other from either side of the hall. It felt lonely now to Hermione. She wanted to be close to someone, the time with Harry that night had comforted her but once they separated the dark feeling of being isolated was breathing on her neck once again. She walked into the bathroom to change. She gasped in horror as she looked at herself. Her face was papery pale, the bags under her eyes looked almost purple. The mascara and eyeliner she had carefully put on before was smudged across her face, briefly reminding Hermione of war paint. Her black mini dress she was wore for the celebration looked stupid and inappropriate to her now. Hermione groaned, quickly tore off her clothes and jumped into the shower.

'Ah well…' She thought 'Harry doesn't need my looks to comfort him.' She sighed as she got out of the shower. The silence of the flat was hard to bear. She knew it would be back to it's normal self before long but for now the silence was oppressing.

It had been stupid for her to go out tonight she decided. Especially when Harry obviously needed her. But Don wanted to so badly…and if he knew that she was celebrating another victory day with Harry that would certainly start another argument. This annoyed Hermione to no end. There would _be _no victory day if it weren't for Harry. She had tried to reason with Don. Don had become extremely…protective over the last few months. Ever since he brought up her moving in with him. She had turned him down, of course. She briefly envisioned Harry alone all night today, sending an unpleasant shiver down her spine. Yes, Don was easily jealous. There fights had been peaking, and almost always they came down to

'Well if you weren't always with your _roommate_' and then concluded with Don begging her to forgive him for saying such a thing. He sort of reminded her of Ron, in terms of the protectiveness. Thinking about Ron brought on an entire new wave of helplessness. Unlike Harry, Hermione _had_ spoken to Ron. Harry didn't know this of course, which only heightened Hermione's anxiety. Harry couldn't know… both he and Ron were just so…so…stubborn. Ron had fought in the final battle. Hermione knew he would come, but she had hoped at the time that Rons act of coming would at least _start_ to mend things up between him and Harry. But to no prevail, they had even been in the same room together, during the celebrations and such. Hermione barely even saw that they acknowledged each other. Of course, it wasn't as though her relationship with Ron was back to as it was. Far from it, there were still the awkward pauses as they secretly met. The tense, vague letters sent between them. Ron had made her promise not to tell Harry of them seeing each other. She complied, but her heart beat quickened out of control whenever the owls came, or whenever Hermione went to visit Ron at the burrow. She knew Harry would be outraged if he found out. They didn't meet often, she rationalized. Once a month! She had thought herself in love with Ron for a good deal of her life; she couldn't just forget about him and hide it like Harry did.

She pushed the thought of Ron aside and rolled over restly in her bed. The darkness around her seemed to gain more pressure, it was suffocating. She briefly entertained the thought of apparating to Dons house to sleep. He had not been too pleased when she had left the party early, so she decided against it.

"Maybe I should end it with him…?" The thought had been sneaking into her mind more and more lately. She waited for her mind to object. Nothing. Hmm…not good. Hermione silently made a pros and cons list in her head of breaking up with Don. He was intelligent. He had a good position at the ministry, and was mildly funny. But it definitely wasn't doing it for her at the moment.

'_Ah well…shouldn't decide such things at this time at night…er...sorry…morning.' _

Hermione rolled over again and looked at the time. The numbers 3:18 glared at her from the clock.

'Agh!' Luckily she didn't _have _to go to work tomorrow. But she still had wanted to go in to the office. Hermione jumped out of bed and quickly tiptoed down the hallway to the opposite door of hers. She needed to hear another human breath, _something _to assure her that she wasn't alone. She creaked open the door and could make out Harrys lying form in the dark. His chest rising and falling, a soft snore filling the room. Hermione instantly felt relief, slipped into the other side of the bed, and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, all thoughts of Don and Ron were erased as she joined Harry in deep slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews! Sorry for the short delay, I'm currently in the process of writing another story in edition to this. Once I've gotten that one figured out the updates should be weekly.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Harry awoke completely disoriented. The bright sun shone through his eyelids_. I don't want to wake up_. He groaned while adjusting to his side trying to evade the sun. Something brushed up against his leg. Harrys eyes snapped open, the option of trying to go back to sleep instantly vanishing. Even with out his glasses on he could make out the blurry shape of... a woman? He quickly fumbled for his glasses on the night-stand, hastily putting them on with out taking his eyes off the sleeping form. As soon as his eyes adjusted he recognized the woman to be Hermione. He let out at deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

His eyes involuntarily surveyed her. The pale face, obviously deprived of sun from her constant working, her lips, the upturned nose. Her lions mane hair, which briefly reminded Harry of fireworks of brown and caramel colors. Her hair fell well past her shoulders, tickling her chest. Harrys eyes wandered lazily the dip of her waist to see that her night gown had ridden up to her thigh in the night.

The sight of her her bare legs caused him to take his eyes off of her and look at something else. _Anything_ else. He planted his eyes on the door frame ahead as he sat, somewhat disgusted with him self. Harry remembered that he hadn't...been with a woman for months. "am I so deprived I have to..." What did he do exactly? He wasn't doing anything wrong!

"How old am I? 13?" Harry said under his breath. Wait...why was Hermione in his bed? Harry suddenly remembered the events of the night before and anger filled him once again. He shook his head before the emotion became too prominent_. I had my time to...think about that._ Hermiones soothing words from the night before shot into him like the most potent soothing potion. Harry reminded himself of them over and over. "We're here now. We're here now."

Hermione moaned in her sleep next to him, bringing him fully back to reality. Unfortunately, this only brought back the feeling from before...what exactly was he feeling again? Merlin! Ever since Ginny and he had 'taken some time apart' ...again... he's been feeling so...hormonal. Harry casually glanced back at Hermione. She was beautiful, and Harry got the distinct impression she didn't know it. Or if she did, she didn't really care. Ginny defiantly knew, recently she'd been flaunting her looks more than usual. That's why they had broken up...this time. She always wanted him to go out. And Harry knew that he had fun, but he just wanted to slow down for once. It was as if he never could just breath. And people always took pictures when they went out. It was sort of embarrassing. Harry started to tap his thumbs against his chest. He guessed that he would get back together with Ginny . He probably would marry her. No emotion seemed to come to him at that. Everyone else in the world seemed to just know that they were getting married... maybe they were seeing something between the two that Harry didn't? He hoped so, it would make all this a lot less complicated. Hermione squirmed beside him and her eyes fluttered open to reveal two larger brown orbs staring up at him.

"Hi" She finally said after a few delayed seconds.

"Hi"

"I couldn't sleep alone"

"It's fine."

"I guess you don't want to talk about it..." Harry didn't answer. Hermione nodded and stretched. A few more seconds of silence, Harry didn't know what to say.

"I suppose I won't go to work today." Hermione said looking out the window. Harry raised his eyebrows at this.

"Really? That's...sort of amazing." Hermione chuckled.

"We can just relax, get a bite to eat, yeah?" Harry frowned

"Hermione... if you think that you have to...I don't know...take care of me in some way...you don't. I'm fine." Hermione's eyes widened.

"No, no, no" She sat up, her back against the headrest.

"That's not what I'm saying, Harry. We haven't really spent any time together. I mean...outside of the flat for awhile."

"Aren't you going to see Don today?" He asked. He wanted to make sure she wasn't doing this because she pitied him. Hermione flushed a little at his name.

"No." She said quietly. Harry cocked an eyebrow. A small blossom of happiness erupted in Harry. He never liked Don. He was just about to tell her so when a soft tapping sound came from the window. Harry snapped his head up to see an small owl with a letter attached to it's leg. Harry heard a sharp intake of breath from Hermione.

"Is that...?" Harry didn't even have to ask. It was Ron's owl.


End file.
